What to do for mirror edge?
- This topic has 22 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 09/27/2016 at 7:48 am by
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Like Mark, I too use film with great results. After the 800/1000 stones, I switch to four film stones I have. These are blanks with aluminum plates. One pair is 6/3 micron film; and the other is 1/0.5 micron film.
Alan
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What grits are you using Mark?
After the diamonds I start with 6 micron. You can also start with 4 micron after the ceramics. Sometimes I end with 0.1 micron, but usually I think this is overkill. One grit less fine also gives great results.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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What is the difference between glass and aluminum platens? also, does anyone use the 3 micron diamond stone and glass platen?
They both serve the same function. The aluminum platens are less expensive, but also not as smooth and flat as the glass. If it’s within your budget, the glass platens are superior. I don’t use my 3 micron stones much anymore and instead use the lapping films. Although they’re consumable, they’re more consistent and give a better finish.
-Clay
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I agree with Clay, but I think if you lap the aluminum platens, you can make them very close to the flatness of glass platens. I bought a 12-inch square of 3/8″ glass from my local glass shop and used sheets of sandpaper, starting with 320 grit and going up to 2000 grit.
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With some experience it’s both. You feel it and also notice they become less effective. Easy enough once you’ve used one.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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The diamond films load up fairly rapidly and need to be washed every 3 or 4 knives (I use alcohol). When you do this, give them a good inspection. I find that I replace them more often because of cuts and tears than loss of abrasive grit, but you can easily see areas where the grit is lost.
I know from youtube videos that others have used sandpaper (followed by stropping with diamond pastes on leather) to obtain mirrored edges, so that should work. My guess is that the diamond films are going to get you the results you want (removal of the scratches from the previous grit) faster than sand paper would because diamond is much more effective at cutting metal than the abrasives used on sandpaper.
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